Vending machine



May 1 1928. 1,668,065

' B. L. FRY

VENDING MACH INE Filed March 10. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f .F -1- f0 ATTORNEY WITNESS:

May 1, 1928. 1,668,065

B. L. FRY

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 1925 2 Shasta-Sheet 2 ,7; 5

i I I ATTORN EY INV'ENTOR WITNESS:

Patented May 1, 1 928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN L. FRY, or ST. LOUIS, MISSOtr'RI, ASSIGNO'R 'ro NATIONAL slums macnfim ,COIIPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION or m'IssoImI.

VENDING xaomim;

Application m we. 10, was. semi No. 14,538.

This invention relates to coin controlled vending machines and has for an object the rovision of a machine which is designed or vending packages, such as cigarettes,

matches'and so forth and is capable of being adapted for the sale of various other I articles. I I I Another Object of the invention is the provision of a vending machine in which the parts are removably positioned and readily interchangeable, so as to provide for substitution of parts, facilitate assembling and permit of arranging the machine for the sale of different kinds of packages Or articles for difierent purchase prices.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel form of ejector element which will insure the positivedeliveryof one or more articles or packages in accordance with the character of the article or package, or the number to be sold at a single operation of the machine.

Another object of the invention is the provision of means for preventing more than one operation of the machine for a single purchase price, so that aperson cannot repeat the operation of the machine prior to the completion of a single cycle of operation and continue to remove the contents for the amount of a single purchase.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention further includes the following novel features and details of construction, to be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a vending machine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figural.

Figure 3 is a fragmentaryverti'cal section taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 5. l

Figure 4 is 'au enlarged fragmentary. elevation partly in section showing the ejector latch inlocking position and illustrating by dotted lines theposition of the latch and a coin during the initial outward movement of the package ejector.

Figure" 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line 5- -5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a similar view on the lim t-6 Figure 7 is a like view on the line 7-7 of F1gure 3. p y

- Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevation show ing the means for securing the upper ends of the compartment partitions.

Figure 9 is a bottom perspective view of of the package ejector.

Figure 10 is a detail elevation of the ejector latch.

igure 11 is a detail perspective view of one of the ejector guides. V

Figure 12 is an enlarged section on the line 12 12 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts, the machine as shown comprises a base indicated generally at 15, while rising from the base in a plurality of. package compartments 16 and 17 which are designed to contain the goods to be sold. These package compartmentsmay be of any number, size or shape in accordance with the goods to be sold and while the compart merits 16 will be described as containing packages of cigarettes and the compartments 17 described as containin boxes of matches, this is done merely for the pur ose of description. The base contains a pac age receiving compartment 18 which is open at the front anda coin compartment 19. This last mentioned compartment is provided with a top 20 which is removably held in place by means of screws or other fastening which may be provided with a suitablelock.

The top 20 of the compartment 19 is PIO'. cided with a longitudinally extending seat or shoulder 23 which receives the lower ed of the back wall 24 of the compartments 6 and 17 and'tliis wall 24 thus acts to prevent the removal of the top 20 of'the compartment 19. -The rear wall 24 may be suitably secured in place, a lock or locks (not shown) being preferably provided for this purpose. The wall 24 may thus be removed for the insertion of the packa es. The front wall of the casing is provided with spaced ver tically" dis osed columns 25 arranged at the opposite ront ed es of the com artm'ents 16 and 17, indivi ual glass or ct er trans 1 parent panels 26 being arranged for each com artment. p

T VENOUS compartments are divided by spaced partitions 27 whose upper ends are secured to the top 28 of the casing by means of brackets 29, removable fastening devices such as screws 30 being utilized for attaching the partitions to the brackets. The lower edges of these partitions 27 are engaged with the opposite sides 31 of guides 32, one of these guides being provided for each of the compartments 16 and 17. These guides are substantiallyU-shaped in cross section and slidingly receive package ejectors 33 such as are illustrated in detail in Figure 9 of the drawings.

The package ejectors 33 are elongated in sha e and include spaced side walls 34 which have a sliding fit between the sides 31 of the guides 32. These ejectors 33 comprise a package receiving frame 35 which is open at its top and bottom and a package supporting table 36 arranged flush with the top edges of the sides 35. The depth of the ejectors 33 is regulated in accordance with the size or thickness of the package to be delivered. and if more than one ackage is to be delivered at each sale, the epth of the ejector is correspondingly increased. To compensate for the differences in depth of the ejectors for the different compartments 16 and 17, the guides 32 may have their bottom walls flush with the lower edges of the sides 31, or-these walls'may be spaced upward as shown at 37 in Figure 11 of the drawings. Inthis figure the guides are shown as made from a single sheet of metal and are provided with spaced openings 38 whereby they may be removably secured to the bottom wall 39' which extends across the base 18. The ejectors 33 may have extending from one or both sides, pins or studs 39, the side walls 31 of theguides 32 being cut away as shown at 40 for the accommodation of these pins. The purpose of these pins will be later explained.

The partitions 27 support coin chutes 41 which extend from openings 42 provided in the columns 25. These columns have extending inwardly from the openings 42, flanges or bosses 43 over which the upper ends of the coin chutes 41 engage. The inner walls of the coin chutes 41, that is the walls adjacent the partitions 27, are secured to said partitions by screws 44, the latter through spacing bosses 45 as shown in Figures 7 and 12 of the drawings. This provides a space 46 between the lower end of the coin chute and the lower end of the par titionso as'to receive the sides 31 of the guides 32. The outer wall 47 of the coin chute is attached to the inner wall preferably by screws 48. The columns 25 may be of any suitable material, preferabl aluminum and the openings 42 are. re erably slightly larger than the size 0 the particular coin entering the chute and in assing order to limit the size of the entrances to the chutes there is secured to the columns 25, plates 49 having slots of the proper size therein. V

Extending from one or both sides of the guides 32, depending upon the price of the article to be purchased, is a stud 50 upon which is pivotally mounted a latch 51. This latch is designed to engage the stud 39 which extends from the package ejector 33, there being one of these latches for each coin chute 41. The latch 51 is provided with a rigid tooth 52 and spaced teeth 53, the latter being carried b a supplemental latch 54 which is pivot-ally secured as shown-at 55 upon the latch 51. An arm 56 extends from the opposite end of the latch into the lower end of a coin chute, while a finger 57 also extends from the latch being spaced from and arranged at an incline with respect to the arm 56. Extending from each of the package ejectors 33 is a rod 58. These rods extend outward through the front of the base 15 and are provided with operating handles or knobs 59 while within the base, the rods are surrounded by coiled s rings 60. These springs serve to return t e package ejectors to their normal position and yieldingly resist outward movement.

One of these package ejectors 33 is located below each of the compartments 16 and 17 with the frame 35 immediately below said compartment so that the lowermost package will be positioned within the frame. When it is desired to purchase an article from one of the compartments 16, for example a package of cigarettes, the price of the package will be inserted in the coin chute or chutes immediately adjacent said compartment. Should'the price of a package of. cigarettes be fifteen cents, a nickle will be inserted in the proper slot at one side of the compartment and adime inserted in the slot at the other side of said compartment, the ejector holding latches being duplicated upon opposite sides of the package ejector while the latter is provided with a stud 39 extending from'each side. Upon the insertionof the first coin, the latch 51 at the bottom of the particular coin slot will be pivotally moved by the weight of the coin upon the arm 56 to release the pin 39 upon that side of the package ejector. However, the latch at the bottom of the coin slot upon the other side of the compartment will remain engaged-sothat the ejector cannot operate to delivers ackage. When the second coin is inserte the latch 51 upon that side of the compartment will then be operated to release its pin 39 so that the ejector 33 may be withdrawn against thetension of the spring 60, whereupon the package which occupies the frame 35 will be dropped into the compartment 18 and may be removed through the opening in Inc the front of the base of the machine. As the package ejector is moved forward to deliver the package, the table 36 is moved into position between the column of packages so that the latter are held upward until the ejector 33 is returned, whereu on the lowermost package will drop into t e frame 35 as will be readily understood. This operation is of course the same in the event of the purchase price of the package being twenty cents, two dimes being required to completely release the package ejector. As the com partments 17 may contain penny boxes of matches it is only necessary to insert a single jacent tooth 53 of the auxiliary latch 54,

while a still further inward movement will cause the pin to engage behind the innermost tooth 53, whereupon the ejector 33 will be held against movement. This prevents a short reciprocatory operation of the ejectors 33 after a package has been delivered. so that there is no chance for a person to manipulate the package ejector with a view of obtaining more than one package for the amount of a single purchase.

When a coin passing downward through the chute 41 reaches the arm 56 of the latch 51 and depresses said arm, it is held in position to maintain the arm depressed due to the fact that the space between the upper edge of the arm upon which the coin rests and the lower edge of the slot at the bottom of the chute through which the coin passes into the compartment 19 is not sufficient for the passage of the coin. To provide for this, downward movement of the arm 56 under the weight of the coin is limited by the finger 57 engaging the pin 39 of the ackage ejector, the length of the finger 57 eing suflicient to hold the coin in this position until the pin 39 has passed beyond the outermost tooth 52 of the latch. This prevents the latch falling by gravity and engaging the pin 39before the ejector. 33 has been completely released.

T e invention is susceptible of various chan es in its form proportions and minor detai s of construction and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as properly fall within the scope of the appended claims. a

Having described the invention what is claimed is 1. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a casing, a package compartment within the casing, a package ejector mounted for sliding movement at the bottom of the compartment, a stop carried by the ejector, a coin chute, a pivotally mounted latch arranged in the path of the stop to hold the ejector against outward movement, said latch comprising a member ivotally mounted substantially central 0? its ends, with one end of the latch extending into the coin chute, for enga ement by a coin to move the latch pivotadly, a bifurcated end at the op ositeend of the latch, one arm of said hi urcated end bein straight throughout its length and dispose at an acute angle with respect to the other arm and at an obtuse angle with respect to the coin engaging end of the latch, spaced teeth carried b one of the arms to engage the ejector and old the same against outward movement until the latch is moved pivotally, and to engage the ejector upon initial inward movement.

2. A coin controlled vending machine comprising a casing, a package compartment within the casing, a package ejector mounted for sliding movement at the bottom of the compartment, a stop carried'by the e'ector, a coin chute, a pivotally mounted latc hav ing one of its ends extending into the coin chute for enga ement b the coin to move the latch pivota 1y, a toot rigid with the opposite end of the latch, a finger positioned at the last mentioned end of the latch to engage the stop and limit pivotal movement of the latch during initial outward movement of the ejector, and spaced teeth pivotally mounted upon the latch and arranged in the path of the stop when the ejector is moved inward and to hold said ejector at its limit of inward movement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my si nature.

- BENJAMIN L. RY. 

